Helping Your Teen Transition Into Sixth Form

The final two years of secondary school, known as Sixth Form, are very important for teenagers. Sixth Form is a time for students to make serious decisions about how they want to progress with their higher education, and consequently their career. The Dixie Grammar School has the following advice for parents of teenagers who are transitioning into Sixth Form.

First and foremost your child will need to decide which subjects they would like to study. They will need to identify which are their strongest and which are their favourite. You can help them by researching what a levels lead to certain careers and what a levels are required for certain university courses. If your teen seems quite anxious about the decisions and the uncertainty, you can help by learning as much information as possible with them, so that you all know as much as you can and feel a little more in control of the situation.

It’s important that students and their parents know what to expect when transitioning from GCSEs to A Levels. Essentially, students are expected to study less subjects but in much greater depth. This can be quite a challenging change, especially at first, and will certainly take some getting used to. Parents should be mindful of this challenge and try not to put too much pressure on their teen. Avoid giving them too many household chores to, because they will likely have enough on their plate with coursework and exam prep.

Another way to support your teen is to help maintain a sense of perspective. On days when they’re struggling with their work or feeling demotivated, encourage them to think about the bigger picture and why they are doing a levels to begin with. Remind them of their end goal. To summarise, here are some of the best ways parents can ease the transition into sixth form:

•  Help your teen with research so that they are as clued up about Sixth Form as possible, to lessen anxiety and stress.
• Be sensitive to the fact that they won’t have as much spare time to help out with household chores.
• Remind your teen of the bigger picture to help them stay on track with their coursework and exam revision.
• Most importantly, assure them that you are there to support their decisions and answer any questions they might have.